Contour reading device, in particular for eyeglass lenses

Abstract

A contour reading device, in particular for eyeglass frames, includes a holding arrangement to support a template at a fixed position and a carriage mobile relative to the holding arrangement and carrying a feeler at the end of a rod. To read off the position of a mounting hole in a peripheral area of the template, the device includes a detector arrangement having at least one component constrained to move with the carriage at a given distance from the axis of the rod carrying the feeler, on the same side as a central area of the holding means. Applications include identifying the mounting holes in "drilled mount" eyeglass lenses.

There is claimed: 
     
       1. In a contour reading device especially for rimless eyeglass frames, the reading device comprising holding means having a central and a peripheral area and adapted to support a lens contour template at a fixed position and a carriage mobil relative to said holding means and carrying a rod having an axis and a feeler at a distal end of the rod, and means for reading the contour of the template, the invention comprising mounting hole reading means for reading off the position of a lens mounting hole in a peripheral area of the lens contour template, said mounting hole reading means including detector means having a component constrained to move with said carriage spaced from said rod axis at a predetermined distance, said mounting hole reading means being located on the same side of said central area as said holding means. 
     
     
       2. The invention as claimed in claim 1, wherein said component comprises a transmitter-receiver carried by said carriage and facing the lens contour template and spaced from the contour edge thereof. 
     
     
       3. The invention as claimed in claim 2, wherein said feeler comprises a mirror vertically aligned with said transmitter-receiver and on the opposite side of the template in relation to said transmitter-receiver. 
     
     
       4. The invention as claimed in claim 1, further comprising memory means for storing the position of the detected mounting hole and transmission means for transferring the stored position of the mounting hole to mounting hole drilling means. 
     
     
       5. The invention as claimed in claim 1, wherein said means for reading the contour of the template is defined by a portion of the rod at a location axially spaced from the component constrained to move with carriage. 
     
     
       6. In a contour reading device especially for rimless eyeglass frames, the reading device comprising holding means having a central and a peripheral area and adapted to support a lens contour template at a fixed position and a carriage mobile relative to said holding means and carrying a rod having an axis and a feeler at a distal end of the rod, means for reading the contour of the template, the invention comprising mounting hole reading means for reading off the position of a lens mounting hole in a peripheral area of the lens contour template, said mounting hole reading means including detector means having a component constrained to move with said carriage spaced from said rod axis at a predetermined distance, said detector means having a detection direction generally parallel to said rod axis, said predetermined distance being equal to the distance between an edge of the template and said mounting hole plus one half the diameter of said rod. 
     
     
       7. The invention as claimed in claim 6, wherein said component comprises a transmitter-receiver carried by said carriage and facing the lens contour template and spaced from the contour edge thereof. 
     
     
       8. The invention as claimed in claim 7, wherein said feeler comprises a mirror vertically aligned with said transmitter-receiver. 
     
     
       9. The invention as claimed in claim 6, further comprising memory means for storing the read off position of the mounting hole and transmission means for transferring the stored read off position of the mounting hole to mounting hole drilling means. 
     
     
       10. The invention as claimed in claim 6, wherein said means for reading the contour of the template is defined by a portion of the rod at a location axially spaced from the component constrained to move with carriage. 
     
     
       11. A mounting hole reading device especially for rimless eyeglass frames, comprising holding means having a central and a peripheral area and adapted to support a lens contour template at a fixed position and a carriage mobile relative to said holding means and carrying a rod having an axis and a feeler at a distal end of the rod, the mounting hole reading device including detector means having a component constrained to move with said carriage spaced from said rod axis at a predetermined distance, said detector means having a detection direction generally parallel to said axis of said rod for reading off the position of the mounting hole at said predetermined distance from the template edge. 
     
     
       12. The invention as claimed in claim 11, wherein said component comprises a transmitter-receiver carried by said carriage and facing the lens contour template and spaced from the contour edge thereof. 
     
     
       13. The invention as claimed in claim 12, wherein said feeler comprises a mirror vertically aligned with said transmitter-receiver. 
     
     
       14. The invention as claimed in claim 11, further comprising memory means for storing the position of the detected mounting hole and transmission means for transferring the stored position of the mounting hole to mounting hole drilling means. 
     
     
       15. The invention as claimed in claim 11, wherein said predetermined distance being equal to the distance between an edge of the template and said mounting hole plus one half the diameter of said rod.